USA TODAY International Edition
Defensive players pursue 1st $20M deal
Quarterbacks aren’t the only NFL stars who cash in handsomely. Eventually, a defender — a logical guess would be Rams lineman Aaron Donald — is going to break into the$20 million a year pay scale, a stratosphere once reserved for the men with the golden arms.
But in today’s pass-oriented league, the ability to plant a quarterback into the turf is nearly as valuable as being able to spray touchdown passes.
Here’s a look at the salary ceilings at each defensive position with a look at who might break through next. Defensive tackle
The standard: Donald’s new teammate, Ndamukong Suh, signed a sixyear, $114 million deal in 2015 but made it only halfway through the contract. Suh had averaged slightly over $19 million a year but finds himself playing for $14 million in 2018. Among active defensive tackle deals, Philadelphia’s Fletcher Cox leads the way on a six-year, $102.6 million package that includes more than $63 million guaranteed.
2018 franchise tag: $13.9M Who’s next: Donald is the NFL’s reigning defensive player of the year and a first-team all-pro in each of the past three seasons. He’s been angling for his payday since last year, when his training camp holdout caused him to miss the regular-season opener. Loaded with cap space in 2019, it’s basically a foregone conclusion the Rams will soon make Donald, who’s set to hit free agency after this season, the best-compensated defensive player in league history.
Suh won’t set that bar again but could rake in more serious dollars next year if, as expected, he flourishes anew while playing alongside Donald. Cincinnati’s Geno Atkins, Green Bay’s Mike Daniels and Minnesota’s Sheldon Richardson will also be eligible for free agency (and nice raises) in 2019. Defensive end
The standard: J.J. Watt landed his $100 million package (over six years) in 2014, but the Giants’ Olivier Vernon received $52.5 million in guarantees — slightly more than Watt — two years ago. However, neither player’s average salary will top the $17.1 million that Dallas’ DeMarcus Lawrence and Detroit’s Ziggy Ansah, both franchised this year, are scheduled to pull down in 2018.
2018 franchise tag: $17.1M Who’s next: Lawrence and Ansah will closely monitor the other’s negotiating progress. Ansah seems likelier to be rewarded sooner given his more impressive body of work, while Lawrence could find the upcoming season serving as a prove-it crucible after his breakout 2017 (141⁄2 sacks). Vets Carlos Dunlap of Cincinnati and Brandon Graham of Philadelphia should still be coveted in
free agency a year from now, when the Vikings’ Danielle Hunter should profit significantly for the first time.
Ultimately, Oakland’s Khalil Mack will eventually take the cake here for a good while. A three-time Pro Bowler and defensive player of the year in 2016, Mack’s next deal — which should arrive before he reaches free agency in 2019 — could eclipse Donald’s, depending on who signs first. Linebacker
The standard: Among all defensive players, Denver’s Von Miller remains king of the hill, the six-year, $114.5 million deal he banked two years ago the industry standard for defense in terms of total and average value ($19.08M) as well as guarantees ($70M).
2018 franchise tag: $15M
Who’s next: The franchise tag value applies to both outside and inside linebackers, but only a pass rusher the likes of Miller is going to command premium dollars. Just ask Panthers all-pro MLB Luke Kuechly, who averages nearly $7 million fewer than Miller in annual pay. Seattle’s Bobby Wagner and Atlanta’s Deion Jones have two years left on their deals and Baltimore’s C.J. Mosley only one, but their sights should be set on Kuechly’s numbers, which include $34.4 million in guarantees, not Miller’s. The same goes for Minnesota’s Anthony Barr (a potential free agent next year), who plays outside but records few sacks from the Vikings’ 4-3 front.
The most intriguing case will be Jadeveon Clowney. The Texans list him as a defensive end — he’d surely seek that tag figure next year if his contract expires — but Clowney frequently toggles to outside linebacker in a hybrid front. He has just 20 sacks in four seasons, but the 6-5, 270-pounder’s unique combination of skills — he can rush the passer, set an edge and stop the run — and potential to further improve could allow him to approach Miller money at a time when the salary cap continues to substantially expand. Cornerback The standard: Good luck finding a shutdown guy the likes of Deion Sanders or Darrelle Revis (in his prime) in today’s NFL, but lesser corners are still major earners — none better than Washington’s Josh Norman, a Pro Bowler once but the beneficiary of a fiveyear, $75 million pact ($50M guaranteed). 2018 franchise tag: $15M Who’s next: The Jets’ Trumaine Johnson just landed a five-year, $72.5 million package after twice being franchised by the Rams. He has never made the Pro Bowl yet almost took Norman
down. It’s going to be a few more years before an elite talent such as the Jaguars’ Jalen Ramsey truly breaks the bank. But in the interim, the Rams’ Marcus Peters, who’s entering his prime, is the best bet to unseat Norman. Safety
The standard: Kansas City’s Eric Berry spent most of 2017 sidelined with an Achilles tendon injury. Fortunately, he collected the most lucrative safety contract (six years, $78M, $40M guaranteed) before the season.
2018 franchise tag: $11.3M Who’s next: Seattle star Earl Thomas turned 29 Monday, but his stellar game has shown little slippage. His four-year, $40 million deal is up after this season, so he’s primed to reclaim his previous standing as the top-paid safety from Berry. But Thomas will be challenged next year by Giants Pro Bowler Landon Collins. Collins can’t match Thomas’ ranginess and impact as a deep safety but is a do-it-all type who, more important, is only 24.
Keep an eye on the Rams’ Lamarcus Joyner, who’s carrying the franchise tag; Houston’s Tyrann Mathieu, who’s on a prove-it deal this year; as well as Green Bay’s Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Chicago’s underrated Adrian Amos, both starting the final year of their rookie contracts.