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Until this free-agent signing period opened, with at least six teams forced to spend big to avoid penalty, the highest-paid No. 2 cornerback in NFL history was Chris Harris, who received an $8.5 million annual average from the Broncos in December.
Then Byron Maxwell, the “other” cornerback to Richard Sherman in Seattle, received from Philadelphia a contract worth $10.5 million per year, a 23.5 percent leap.
A year ago, two contract records were set at free safety — first by Jairus Byrd, who got $12.3 million in the first year of his new deal with New Orleans, then by Earl Thomas III, whose extension to stay with Seattle paid him $14.225 million in the first year.
Meanwhile, this year’s free-agent market forced New England to pay Devin McCourty, a converted corner who has never made the Pro Bowl as a safety, $18 million this season alone — 26.5 percent greater than Earl Thomas’ no-longer-record deal — to keep him inside the Patriots’ doors.
“I think what we’re seeing this year is really the idea of what the CBA (collective bargaining agreement) was meant to be and that’s get more cash into the veterans’ hands,” Broncos general manager John Elway said last week. “It’s good for these guys. It’s a little hard to get used to, but that’s what the NFL is about now.”
Indeed, the most staggering NFL contracts no longer belong to the likes of Sam Bradford, a No. 1- selected quarterback who was drafted during the years of the previous collective bargaining agreement.
The CBA that has been in effect since 2011 created a free-market system that last week allowed defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, the No. 2 pick in the 2010 draft (behind Bradford), to receive from Miami a “quarterback contract” worth $19 million per year.
Meanwhile, Andrew Luck, the No. 1 pick in the 2012 draft that played by new financial rules, will quarterback the Indianapolis Colts this season for a modest $3.4 million.
Suh got his $19 million annual average — $114.375 million in all — from the Dolphins after Detroit and Oakland dropped out after making final bids of $17 million per year.
The current CBA forced teams to spend big in free agency this year or write checks directly to the NFL Players Association. The working agreement between owners and players forced clubs to reach a minimum salary cap threshold over a four-year span.
Entering the fourth year of the CBA, Jacksonville, Oakland, Tennessee, Philadelphia, Cleveland and the New York Jets were so far below the spending floor, they had little choice but to fritter away all-pro-caliber contracts on players who had never been named to a Pro Bowl.
Rodney Hudson, for example. The former Kansas City center never had made the Pro Bowl, but he will gross $13 million from AFC West rival Oakland this year.
To offset Hudson’s loss from their books, the Chiefs turned around and gave Jeremy Maclin — long considered a No. 2 receiver until he came off a torn anterior cruciate ligament to have a breakout season for Philadelphia in 2014 — $13 million for 2015.
Meanwhile, the Broncos began the free-agent signing period with most of their goods already spent.
While Jacksonville is paying $15.1 million cash to former Denver tight end Julius Thomas this year, the Broncos have spent a total of only $15.6 million in 2015 money to sign six free agents — Owen Daniels, Virgil Green, Vance Walker, Darian Stewart, Shelley Smith and Reggie Walker.
But just because the Broncos didn’t get caught up in the free-agent frenzy last week doesn’t mean they haven’t spent. Only one team in the NFL — Green Bay — has spent more cash over the past three years than the Broncos.
“The NFL now is, ‘Who wins free agency? Who wins the draft?’ The only thing that really matters is winning football games. But everybody looks at all the different things that go on, and so the expectations become greater,” Elway said.
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| The $10 Million Club | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free-agent players in 2015 who got at least $10 million in”cash out the door” from bonuses and salary. | ||||
| Player | Pos. | Team | 2015 Cash | Contract |
| Ndamukong Suh | DT | Dolphins | $26.5 million | $114.38 million |
| Devin McCourty* | FS | Patriots | $18 million | $47.5 million |
| Julius Thomas | TE | Jaguars | $15.1 million | $46 million |
| Byron Maxwell | CB | Eagles | $13.5 million | $63 million |
| Jeremy Maclin | WR | Chiefs | $13 million | $55 million |
| Rodney Hudson | C | Raiders | $13 million | $44.5 million |
| Mike Iupati | G | Cardinals | $11.5 million | $40 million |
| Brandon Flowers* | CB | Chargers | $10.25 million | $36.4 million |
| Torrey Smith | WR | 49ers | $10 million | $40 million |
| Orlando Franklin | G | Chargers | $10 million | $35.5 million |
| Bryan Bulaga* | RT | Packers | $10 million | $33.75 million |
| *Re-signed | ||||
| AFC West | ||||
| If money is talent, the rest of the AFC West spent to catch up to the Broncos, who will be seeking their fifth consecutive division title in 2015. | ||||
| Denver Broncos | ||||
| Player | Pos. | 2015 Cash | Contract | |
| Owen Daniels | TE | $4.75 million | $12.25 million | |
| Virgil Green* | TE | $3.2 million | $8.4 million | |
| Shelley Smith | G | $2 million | $4.25 million | |
| Darian Stewart | FS | $2 million | $4.25 million | |
| Vance Walker | DL | $2 million | $4 million | |
| TOTALS | $13.95 million | $28.9 million | ||
| Oakland Raiders | ||||
| Player | Pos. | 2015 Cash | Contract | |
| Rodney Hudson | C | $13 million | $44.5 million | |
| Dan Williams | DT | $8 million | $25 million | |
| Nate Allen | SS | $7 million | $23 million | |
| Malcolm Smith | LB | $4 million | $7 million | |
| Lee Smith | TE | $3.35 million | $9.1 million | |
| Christian Ponder | QB | $2.25 million | $2.25 million | |
| TOTALS | $37.6 million | $110.85 million | ||
| San Diego Chargers | ||||
| Player | Pos. | 2015 Cash | Contract | |
| Brandon Flowers* | CB | $10.25 million | $36.4 million | |
| Orlando Franklin | G | $10 million | $35.5 million | |
| Jimmy Wilson | CB | $2.25 million | $4.25 million | |
| Ricardo Mathews* | DL | $920,000 | $920,000 | |
| TOTALS | $23.42 million | $77.07 million | ||
| Kansas City Chiefs | ||||
| Player | Pos. | 2015 Cash | Contract | |
| Jeremy Maclin | WR | $13 million | $55 million | |
| Ron Parker* | SS | $6 million | $25 million | |
| Paul Fanaika | G | $2.55 million | $6.15 million | |
| Jason Avant* | WR | $950.000 | $950,000 | |
| Richard Gordon* | TE | $745,000 | $745,000 | |
| TOTALS | $23.25 million | $87.85 million | ||
