Apr 13, 2021
Every year, colleagues Jenny Vrentas, Albert Breer and I battle it out for mock draft supremacy. Every year, I end up going first, which is all right with me. (Technically, Albert got a head start this year with his early iteration, but he’ll have another one the week of the draft.) First is sometimes preferred, as waiting too long gets you sucked into the misinformation spiral. Last is difficult because the consensus begins to come back around, though probably not in enough time to rescue a board that looks more like a tangled Jacob’s ladder by then.
Now imagine what it must be like when you learn you have found an extra $622,056.
The NFL s performance-based pay system has been around since 2002, when it was included in the ratification of the collective bargaining agreement, and it rewards players who have had high playing time but are making low base salaries.
This year, the league divvied up $8.55 million per team for veterans and rookies, and while the checks won t hit the players accounts until 2024 at the earliest, it s still good to know there will be some money coming in.
Here s a look at some of the notable performance-based bonuses that were distributed:
Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images
It’s been a busy three weeks in the NFL. The first phase of NFL free agency in the books and several veterans remain available on the open market.
Teams are still doing their due diligence on free agents, but the focus has primarily shifted to the 2021 NFL Draft, which is scheduled for three weeks from today.
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch got a ton done over the past month. The Niners’ biggest move was re-signing left tackle Trent Williams to a six-year deal worth up to $138 million.
The 49ers also re-signed several of their other key free agents, including Kyle Juszczyk, Emmanuel Moseley, Jason Verrett, K’Waun Williams, Jaquiski Tartt and D.J. Jones. Lynch also went outside the building to bring some pieces, signing pass-rusher Samson Ebukam and center Alex Mack.
How Much Bonus Was Paid To Your Favorite NFL Player Last Season?
The NFL Management Council released the bonus information for each team in the 2020 season. It s 61 pages containing every player s bonus amount. Some are ridiculously low, like Houston backup A.J. McCarron, who played 2 snaps, and received an extra $316.00 for his trouble.
Getty Images
Still others can make up a huge part of a players earnings. The highest bonus amount for players was in the $600,000 range, like Cardinals Tackle Kelvin Beachum. There s a Buccaneer on the list who also made over $600,000 in bonus money, but I ll let you browse the list yourself to find out who.
Bird Droppings: Arizona Cardinals defensive additions, contract details for free agents, 2020 contract incentives and more
Happy Wednesday one and all.
We are halfway through the week and heading into three weeks until the 2021 NFL Draft.
That means plenty of news from around the web to help us get ready, so let’s get to all the news from around the web on your Arizona Cardinals.