Winner: Cornerbacks making big money
Three cornerbacks hauled in contracts worth $10 million or more on average per season. In a year that wasn’t exactly chock full of elite talent at this position, it’s not surprising that big money was thrown at the ones who did qualify as the top-end targets.
That said, we’re still a bit taken back at how much Stephon Gilmore and A.J. Bouye, in particular, can earn on their new deals.
Gilmore’s deal was stunning. He’s set to bring home $40 million guaranteed, with potential dead cap penalties strung across all five years of his deal. While Gilmore is definitely a good corner, many would argue he wasn’t even the best of this year’s free-agency class.
Bouye, who was seen by many as the best corner, still came into free agency with just 19 career starts. Yet he landed a huge deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars worth up to $67.5 million, with $26 million guaranteed.
Logan Ryan also scored on a shorter deal, a three-year contract with $20.5 million guaranteed.
Players who can affect the passing game are clearly going to get paid huge sums of money in today’s NFL. These three were clear-cut winners because of this.