2019 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 should be around $2MM in 2019. 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 2019 courtesy of the proven performance escalator:
Bears: RB Jordan Howard, LB Nick Kwiatkoski
Bengals: LB Nick Vigil
Broncos: G Connor McGovern, S Will Parks, S Justin Simmons
Browns: S Derrick Kindred, LB Joe Schobert
Buccaneers: G Caleb Benenoch, DE Carl Nassib, CB Ryan Smith
Chargers: LB Jatavis Brown
Chiefs: CB Kendall Fuller, WR Tyreek Hill, S Eric Murray, WR Demarcus Robinson
Colts: QB Jacoby Brissett, T Joe Haeg
Cowboys: CB Anthony Brown, DT Maliek Collins, QB Dak Prescott
Dolphins: RB Kenyan Drake
Eagles: CB Jalen Mills, T Halapoulivaati Vaitai
Falcons: LB De’Vondre Campbell, TE Austin Hooper, G Wes Schweitzer
Jaguars: DE Yannick Ngakoue
Jets: LB Jordan Jenkins, CB Rashard Robinson, T Brandon Shell
Lions: C Graham Glasgow
Packers: LB Kyler Fackrell, DE Dean Lowry, LB Blake Martinez, LB Antonio Morrison
Patriots: G Joe Thuney, LB Elandon Roberts
Rams: G Austin Blythe, TE Tyler Higbee
Ravens: DE Matt Judon, OL Alex Lewis, CB Tavon Young
Saints: DT David Onyemata
Steelers: DT Javon Hargrave
Texans: DT D.J. Reader
Titans: S Kevin Byard, WR Tajae Sharpe
OverTheCap.com was essential in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Texans Activate OL David Quessenberry
In one of the more inspiring stories of the NFL season, the Texans have promoted offensive tackle and cancer survivor David Quessenberry from their practice squad to their active roster. In a series of other moves, Houston also promoted safety Ibraheim Campbell and defensive tackle Jarrod Clements while placing center Nick Martin, tight end MyCole Pruitt, and defensive tackle D.J. Reader on injured reserve.
Quessenberry, 27, spent more than three years on the Texans’ non-football injury list after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in June 2014. After an amazing battle that was recently well-documented by Robert Klemko of TheMMQB.com, Quessenberry completed his treatment earlier this year. He’s spent the entirety of the 2017 campaign on Houston’s practice squad.
Although he has yet to appear in an NFL game, Quessenberry could potentially see action for the Texans during the final two games of the regular season. Houston currently has just two offensive tackles on its roster, and neither Kendall Lamm nor Breno Giacomini has been impressive. Theoretically, the Texans could give Quessenberry — a 2013 sixth-round pick out of San Jose State — a two-game audition to close the year.
Martin, meanwhile, will close his second NFL campaign after suffering a “serious” ankle injury, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. A second-round pick in 2016, Martin also missed his entire rookie season after breaking his ankle. This year, Martin played nearly 1,000 offensive snaps in the middle of the Texans’ line but graded as a bottom-10 center, per Pro Football Focus.
AFC Draft Signings: Chiefs, Texans, Jaguars
The Chiefs have signed second-round pick Chris Jones, a source tells PFT (Twitter link). The defensive lineman out of Mississippi State becomes KC’s first rookie to sign. Jones’ stock rose in the weeks leading up to the draft as more and more teams zeroed in on interior pass rushers.
Here are the rest of today’s draft signings from the AFC:
- The Texans signed fifth-round nose tackle D.J. Reader, according to Mark Berman of FOX 26 (via Twitter).
- The Jaguars sign sixth-round quarterback Brandon Allen, as Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union tweets.
- The Jaguars signed sixth-round linebacker/defensive end Tyrone Holmes, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
- Linebacker Jatavis Brown inked his rookie contract with the Chargers, Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets. The Akron product was taken in the fifth-round.
- The Jets signed seventh-round punter Lachlan Edwards, according to his agency on Twitter.
- The Patriots signed sixth-round linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill to a $2.44MM deal, including a $100K signing bonus, as his slot dictates, Wilson tweets.
- The Steelers announced the signing of seventh round draft picks Demarcus Ayers and Tyler Matakevich. Ayers, a wide receiver/returner from the University of Houston, and Matakevich, a linebacker from Temple, are now the first two Pittsburgh rookies to sign from this year’s class.
- The Ravens signed fifth-round defensive end Matt Judon, Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun tweets.
- The Texans signed fifth-round safety K.J. Dillon, as Mark Berman of FOX 26 tweets.
AFC South Notes: Watt, Jaguars, Titans, Draft
Will Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt retire sooner rather than later? It’s probably too early to make any assumptions about how many years the perennial All-Pro has left, but as James Palmer of the NFL Network tweets, Watt did tell SportsRadio 610 in Houston that he won’t be one of those players who attempts to extend his career as long as possible.
Here are several more items from out of the AFC South…
- Several of this week’s pre-draft visitors for the Jaguars have already been reported, but Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) identify a few more. According to O’Halloran, UCLA defensive tackle Kenny Clark, Mississippi State defensive tackle Chris Jones, and Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland were among the players at EverBank Field on Tuesday, while Rapoport reports that UGA linebacker Leonard Floyd is there today.
- Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle passes along a pair of Texans pre-draft updates, writing that Texas A&M kicker Taylor Bertolet has a private workout lined up with Texans assistant Larry Izzo and that FIU cornerback Richard Leonard worked out for the club.
- The Titans will soon host Clemson defensive tackle D.J. Reader for a pre-draft visit, a league source tells Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com. As McCormick observes, Tennessee has been doing its homework on defensive lineman, and could use some depth at nose tackle.