Walkthrough: Breakdown of Daniels' contract
Each Wednesday, Weston Hodkiewicz provides an inside look at the Green Bay Packers in his Walkthrough blog.
Mike Daniels will count an additional $2.4 million against the Green Bay Packers’ 2015 salary cap after agreeing to a four-year, $41 million extension earlier this week, according to a source with access to the NFLPA salary database.
As has been customary in the past, general manager Ted Thompson and chief negotiator Russ Ball lessened the impact of the fourth-year defensive lineman’s hefty new contract by using the last year of his rookie contract to prorate his $12 million signing bonus over five seasons instead of four.
So Daniels, who already counted $1.542 million against this year’s cap, consumed only a small chunk of the $9,696,019 the Packers had remaining. The leftover $7,295,019 can be used to either re-sign any of the team’s other 14 upcoming free agents or can be carried over toward the 2016 cap.
While Daniels’ new contract averages $10.25 million per season in new money, the Packers were able to use the final year of his rookie contract to their benefit. Thompson and Ball used a similar formula in the past when extending quarterback Aaron Rodgers, receiver Jordy Nelson, safety Morgan Burnett and linebacker Clay Matthews.
Daniels, 26, will make $17 million through the 2016 season. He can earn $8 million in 2017, $7.5 million in 2018 and $8.5 million in 2019 in addition to potential escalators. His base salary rockets from $2.1 million in 2017 to $6.6 million in 2018 and $7.6 million in 2019.
The contract calls for $3.3 million and $5 million offseason roster bonuses due on the third day of the league year in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Each year of the contract has a $400,000 workout bonus and $500,000 roster bonus that’s paid out in increments of $31,250 for every game he’s active.
His cap numbers are $4,022,996 in 2015, $7.4 million in 2016, $10.4 million in 2017, $9.9 in 2018 and $10.9 million in 2019.
The deal includes Pro Bowl escalators of $125,000 after each year of the deal. He can earn an additional $500,000 in the final two seasons if he hits escalators based on either playing time or sacks plus playoffs. Daniels will earn $42.5 million if he plays out the contract and hits all of his incentives.
If the Packers hold firm with their current roster, they have a little more than $130 million tied up in contracts for 2016. Early estimates are the 2016 cap will be roughly $153 million in addition to whatever funds teams carry over from the previous season.
Here’s a full breakdown of Daniels’ contract:
2015
Cash value: $13,547,850
Salary-cap charge: $4,022,996
Signing bonus: $12 million
Base salary: $1.542 million
Workout bonus: $5,850
2016
Cash value: $5 million
Salary-cap charge: $7.4 million
Base salary: $800,000
Roster bonus: $3.3 million (due the third day of league year)
Roster bonus (per game): $500,000
Workout bonus: $400,000
2017
Cash value: $8 million
Salary-cap charge: $10.4 million
Base salary: $2.1 million
Roster bonus: $5 million (due the third day of the league year)
Roster bonus (per game): $500,000
Workout bonus: $400,000
2018
Cash value: $7.5 million
Salary-cap charge: $9.9 million
Base salary: $6.6 million
Roster bonus (per game): $500,000
Workout bous: $400,000
2019
Cash value: $8.5 million
Salary-cap charge: $10.9 million
Base salary: $7.6 million
Roster bonus (per game): $500,000
Workout bonus: $400,000