Pass rushers are usually at a premium in free agency but that hasn’t been the case this year. Paul Kruger’s five-year, $40.5 million deal (including $20 million guaranteed) with the Cleveland Browns set the market. Cliff Avril played under his $10.605 million franchise tag last season after turning down a three-year, $30 million contract from the Detroit Lions. He needed to sign a two-year, $19.395 million deal in order to break even. Avril lost $6.395 million by turning down Detroit’s offer because he only got a two-year, $13 million deal (with an additional $2.1 million in sack escalators and incentives) from the Seattle Seahawks.
Paul Kruger was one of the few pass rushers who struck it big this offseason.
Elvis Dumervil became a free agent on March 15th because of a paperwork snafu on his renegotiated contract with the Denver Broncos that reduced his 2013 salary from $12 million to $8 million. He received $500,000 more that he was scheduled to make in 2013 from the Broncos renegotiation in the five-year, $26 million deal (includes $11 million in guarantees) he subsequently signed with the Baltimore Ravens. The contract is worth up to $35 million because it contains $9 million in base salary escalators. Kamerion Wimbley was released by the Oakland Raiders around the same time as Dumervil last year, but fared much better. He signed a five-year, $35 million contract ($13.5 million in guarantees) with the Tennessee Titans.
Chris Long should be thankful he signed a four-year, $48.2 million contract extension ($36.76 million in guarantees) with the St. Louis Rams as training camp opened last season. It’s hard to imagine him getting a similar deal as an unrestricted free agent under current market conditions.
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